CEZs on shaky ground

Economic enclaves have a patchy history in India

The government has taken the first step in its ambitious Sagarmala project of creating 14 coastal economic zones (CEZs) by approving the enclave for the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Maharashtra. Reports suggest that 45 companies from the telecom, technology, and automobile industries are expected to bid for 200 hectares, or 2 sq km. The zone expects to attract investment worth Rs 15,000 crore and create 150,000 jobs in the first phase. Since the JNPT accounts for 40 per cent of India’s trade, this appears to be a reassuring start to the National Democratic Alliance’s stated objective of boosting foreign